This invention relates to a skin protectant, usually for use after skin cleansing. It is a protectant that is especially designed for irritated or compromised skin.
Ointments to be used on irritated skin in order to eliminate the pain and irritating feeling are known. Many are petrolatum based and contain a zinc oxide pigment in order to enhance wound healing.
A significant problem in use of the presently available skin protectants, which are petrolatum based and contain zinc oxide, is that they in fact do not ideally protect compromised areas. Moreover, the presence of zinc oxide often compounds the problem of difficulty of removal during wound cleansing. Put another way, because the zinc oxide is somewhat difficult to remove, a nurse applicator is apt to over scrub in cleansing. As a result, skin irritation is exacerbated, skin may be compromised or torn, and the ultimate healing process delayed.
Problems such as those above described are very common in association with chronic diarrhea, enzymatic drainage, or incontinence. For use in conjunction with these three problems particularly, a skin protectant needs to be one which is preferably greaseless, one which provides a good moisture barrier, and one with excellent adhesion to both moist and dry skin.
To accomplish some of the earlier mentioned attributes, some skin ointments are oil based gels. Some of these have even developed into clear oil based gels so that the underlying wound can be seen. Oil based gels do provide maximized protection of the underlying skin. However, this is provided at some sacrifice. The sacrifice is that while they are excellent protectants, they are often difficult to remove, and during the removal process may in fact adhere to the compromised skin and in turn exacerbate the irritation. This, of course, is an effect exactly the opposite of what is needed for a good protectant.
In an effort to overcome some of the problems of oil based ointment protectants as used for compromised skin, some have worked with water based protectant systems. While these are easier to apply, they do not have a good skin feel and usually sacrifice full protection from irritation by feces and urine.
It therefore can be seen that in the art as developed there is a balancing or tradeoff effect between normally used skin protectant ointments that are oil based and normally used skin protectants that are water based. Each has its own inherent advantages and its own inherent disadvantages. Thus as can be seen, there is a continuing need for new skin protectants especially adapted for compromised skin such as accompanies chronic diarrhea, enzymatic drainage, or incontinence.
It now has been discovered that a preparation which provides co-action between its ingredients to provide a water impermeable skin protectant based upon a reverse water emulsion will function to provide a product which has the best advantages of both an oil base and a water base. The advantages of the oil based product are provided on the outside surface of the product and at the same time provide an interior surface that is substantially a water soluble phase. As a result, the exterior phase adequately protects, and the interior allows the skin to breathe. At the same time the preparation can be washed away without significant damage to the skin via abrasion.
It is therefore a primary objective of this invention to provide a combination of ingredients which co-act to provide the above substantially improved skin protectant which for the first time provides for advantages of oil phase and water phase, both in the same composition.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a skin ointment formulation which is based upon water, but is at the same time substantially waterproof.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a water based product that provides skin protection and provides a substantial surface barrier against water invasion of the underlying wound.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a skin protectant of water base that still has an elegant feel and still the proper drag so that it will be readily accepted by nurse applicators and not uncomfortable to the patient.
A yet further objective of the present invention is to provide a skin protectant which adheres to compromised skin, especially that compromised by incontinence, and which provides moisture to the skin and yet provides an adequate barrier to permeation, and which can be easily removed during wound cleansing, without compromising or tearing the skin.
A yet further objective of the present invention is to provide a skin protectant which is stable, easy to formulate, and suitable for tubular dispensers.
The method and manner of accomplishing each of the above objectives as well as others will become apparent from the detailed description of the invention which follows.